A Paladin's Tale
by Elesthiliia
Summary: The story of Amy, a self-exiled Brotherhood of Steel Paladin who left after the Battle of Helios. She meets the Courier, Liz, and teams up with her for an independent Vegas. Rated M for mature themes.
1. Chapter 1

**A Paladin's Tale**

This story is set in the same timeline as my previous Fallout fanfic, _From Cottonwood Cove to the Mountains of Rome_, and takes place soon after, though it is not a direct sequel. Some elements and characters from the previous story may be present in future chapters. Hope you enjoy!

* * *

><p><span><strong>Chapter 1<strong>

The sound of gunshots startled Amy as she bolted upright in bed from her deep slumber. It pitch black outside, apart from the occasional yellow flashes lighting up and silhouetting vague shapes on her dusty opaque windows. Still a little dazed, she scratched her eyes and fumbled for her watch from the bedside table: it was exactly midnight. Sighing, Amy grabbed her laser rifle from the bed side dresser and dragged herself towards the door. Slipping on a trench coat, she considered get into something else a little more protective than her nightwear, but decided they would have to do.

A knock sounded just as she reached the door. Opening it, she let Marcus in from the chilly mountain air.

"What is it this time?" she asked, shutting the door behind him.

"Snipers on the east side of town," he panted, a little out of breath, though his tone as calm as always. "I think two. They've already taken out two of us and a lot of our bighorners."

"What about Lily? Is she okay?"

"She's safe in the lodge, although I wish I could say the same about Keene. He's running around trying to rally the Nightkin into fighting the attackers. Doc's inside trying to calm him down for now, but if this goes on for much longer I'm afraid he's going to get them all killed."

She sighed. "I'll see what I can do about those snipers."

Amy darted out of her bungalow across to the adjacent one, her golden skin gleamed gently in the pale moonlight. Flicking a switch on her scope, she brought the rifle to her shoulder and scanned the horizon.

"Bingo," she murmured as she lined up the circular reticle with the crouched figure she spotted half hidden behind a large pine tree. Squeezing the trigger she watched the figure fall backwards and disintegrate into a pile of ash. Suddenly, the bungalow wall by her face exploded and she flung herself back around the corner.

"Fuck!" she cried, grabbing her grazed cheek. _Wake up, Amy! What's wrong with you? Focus!_

Suddenly, the town was basked in a warm, red glow from a suspended ball of light in the night sky. Looking up, Amy shook her head and chuckled as she traced the smoke from the flare to its source in the mountain.

"Amateur," she muttered.

Turning a dial on the rear of her rifle anti-clockwise, she dashed around the bungalow to the next for a better angle and brought the scope up to her face once more. The figure wasn't too hard to spot: crouched beside a rock, a scoped Assault Rifle by his face, scanning the buildings in the town for his target. Taking deep, slow breaths, she carefully aligned the reticle with her target's leg, and rested her finger against the trigger. Pausing her breathing, she carefully pulled the trigger back and watched the bolt of light hit her target's thigh, causing him to buckle backwards and grasp his leg in pain.

Amy shot up and dashed towards the town entrance, then up into the mountain towards her wounded prey. The red glow of the flare still lit the forest floor, and it didn't take her long to locate her target, now leaning against the grey rock. She shot a warning shot by his torso, startling him.

"Do anything silly and you'll be a sorry pile of ash," she hissed as the man raised his hands up by his head.

"Please... It was only a job! I... I need the caps!"

"Yes, and fairly new to the business too, aren't you? True, you can see a lot more with a flare, but it does tend to give away your location, doesn't it?"

He nodded.

"Now to business: who sent you?"

The man continued to pant, but otherwise remained silent. Amy rolled her eyes and adjusted the dial on her rifle, this time turning it clockwise, and pointed it back at him.

"At this power and range, you'd definitely be ash no matter where I shoot. So tell me. Who sent you?"

The man whimpered. "If I tell you... They're going kill me anyway."

"If I've learned anything in the past five years, the Wasteland's a big enough place to hide. So you can either try your luck with them later, or right now running away with that leg and my aim."

He took a deep breath and sighed. "Our gang was contracted, but I don't know who by. We were supposed to provoke them, do anything to make them mad. Boss even said they'd even give us a bonus if we took out a few muties along the way too."

"If you don't know who contracted you, then who does?"

"Just the boss I guess."

"Where can I find him?"

He paused, frowning, his lips tight shut. Amy sighed, and raised the rifle to his head.

"Last chance. Where can I find him."

"Oh fuck," he whimpered. "I'm so dead for this... Monte Carlo Suites. You can find _her_ at the Monte Carlo Suites. It's south of Westside."

"Thank you. Now that wasn't too hard now, was it?" Amy smiled, lowering her rifle as she walked up to him. "Now let's have a look at that leg."

Amy hit the butt of the rifle against his head, lumped his unconscious body over her shoulder and made her way back to the entrance of Jacobstown where Marcus was waiting for her.

"So?" he asked, as Amy dropped the man onto the ground between them. "What's the news?"

"These guys are different from the last bunch. Amateurs. But that's not the only thing that's changed. Last time their orders were to cause general disruption and provoke a response right? Well this time they've got orders to kill a few of you off too."  
>"Probably got tired of waiting for that response."<p>

"But then why send amateurs? Why not proper mercenaries like before? They'd take more of us out that way. I've got a lead. He said his bunch were camping out south of Westside, and their leader knows more about their contractors."

"Look, Amelia, I really appreciate your concern for us, but don't worry about it. There's no point getting into further trouble."

"Marcus, if this goes on for much longer, they're going to pick you off one by one until you're all dead! This is supposed to be a sanctuary for your kind! And think of the Nightkin. The only chance of curing them is here. Without Jacobstown, they'll be no hope for mutants in the area. Please, let me help you."

"But you've already helped us so much, ever since you got here."

"You took me in and let me stay. Jacobstown is my home now too, and I will do everything in my power to protect my home and my family."

He frowned. "In that case, I guess I can't really stop you... Thank you, Amy. We owe you a lot."

"Oh, Marcus..."

Amy reached her arms out towards the mutant as he pulled her in and the couple embraced.

"You be careful out there, okay?"

Amy pulled back and nodded. "I'll leave in the morning. Say goodbye to Lily for me will you?"

Marcus nodded as Amy started walking back to her bungalow.

"Oh, and I almost forgot," she said, turning back to the mutant. "Could you have Hudson take a look at his leg? I'd like to take him with me tomorrow."

"Will do," he smiled. "Goodnight, Amy."

"Goodnight, Marcus."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

It was early afternoon when Amy and Rick, the sniper, reached Westside, the first signs of human civilisation she had seen for several months. Not that she missed it. Ever since she stumbled across and settled in Jacobstown 4 years ago, she rarely ventured back out into the Wasteland again apart from the occasional trading for supplies when Calamity wasn't available. The place which had once been enshrouded with mystery and adventure had now become nothing more than a barren land scared with torment and regret. Jacobstown had been her quiet sanctuary she dearly needed to escape from the memories of her past life with the Brotherhood of Steel. A place to recover from the horrors of Helios five years ago.

As they passed the entrance to the town, she felt the suspicious stares from the several awed guards summing her up. An action she was once so used to receiving and giving herself now felt completely foreign and even made her feel a little threatened. But she couldn't really blame them. Recon armour wasn't easy to come by, nor did many people know how to operate it.

Trying her best to ignore them, they continued south along the road, and soon enough, the decaying five story cyan building came into sight. Crouching down by a rusted motorcade, she gathered her chocolate hair, slipped on her helmet and unholstered the rifle. Bringing the scope up to her face, she scanned the car park and the surrounding buildings. Two guards by the entrance.

"Can you get us in peacefully?" she asked her partner.

"I don't see why not."

Amy lowered her rifle and stood up.

"Let's go then."

Rick waved to his gang members and led Amy towards the entrance.

"Who's this?" coughed one of the guards as they approached.

"She's got business with the boss. She won't be trouble, I promise."

"It's on your head. Get on in then."

He opened the door and the two of them slipped inside, away from the baking afternoon sun. The inside wasn't much, like most other buildings in the wastes. The wallpaper had long gone disintegrated, leaving the slowly unplastering walls completely bare. They turned right and followed the dirty red carpet lined corridor towards the other end of the building and stopped in front of the only room with a properly functioning door. Rick knocked.

"What?" spat a irritated female voice from the other side of the door.

"It's Rick. I'm back from the job, and I have someone who wants to talk business with you."

Amy heard the scrape of a chair, followed by loud footsteps towards the door. As the locks clicked the voice started again.

"I told you, I'd meet you on the Strip when the job's- Oh... I thought you were... Someone else." She was a couple of inches shorter and less built than Amy, but then again, most people were. Her dirty blonde hair was tied up in a messy bun. She turned to Rick. "So is it done?"

"About that..."

"That's what I would like to have a word with you about," Amy interrupted as the woman's eyes darted back to her. "And I was hoping we could come to some sort of arrangement that would benefit us both?"

The woman remained silent. Then carefully, she eyes slowly scanned up and down Amy's body, inspecting her. Finally she spoke.

"What do you want?"

"I want to know who hired you, and where I can find them."

She laughed and slowly strolled back into the room over to crumbling dressing table.

"You sound like a woman with an agenda. Why do you care?"

Amy followed her in. "I have my reasons."

"And what are you offering for the price of the information?"

Amy unfastened the Recharger Pistol from her hip and placed it on the table in front of the woman.

"I don't use energy weapons," she said bluntly and pushed it aside.

"In this condition it's worth a thousand caps."

She froze, staring at the weapon. Taking a deep breath, she turned towards Amy.

"How can I help you?"

Amy smiled. "Who contracted you?"

"A senator from the NCR. Morales, I think his name was. I hear he's trying to gain some favour from them mutie haters."

"Where can I find him?"

"I'm supposed to meet him when the job's done on the Strip. Said he'd be staying over at Gomorrah, not that I'm surprised. Seems like that sort of guy, the dick."

"Thank you." Amy turned around and was about to leave when the woman called out after her.

"Wait. That's all you wanted? A thousand fucking caps and I get two questions?"

"It's important. Besides, I didn't have anything else to trade."

"How're you planning on getting into the Strip?"

Amy paused. She remembered hearing rumours over the radio that the credit check for getting onto the strip had recently gone up, and she knew she didn't have the caps to afford that.

"I'll think of something."

The woman rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Here, take this." She opened the drawer of her dressing table and pulled out a Gomorrah chip and a card. "This is the passport he gave me to get in. Guess I won't be needing it anymore. And this chip's to get into Gomorrah."

Amy looked puzzled.

"Why are you helping me?"

"Never liked that sly little fucker."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

The lights of the New Vegas Strip danced gleefully against the twilight sky as Amy made her way along Freeside's "high street" towards the securitron armed gate. She felt a little uneasy in her change of clothes, a creamy floral dress she bought from a corner shop near the Freeside's east gate, especially walking down a street infamous for thug ambushes. Perhaps she should have agreed to hire the escort at the other entrance. After all, 100 caps is a price worth paying for Jacobstown, and it would have probably helped her blend in a little too.

Suddenly, a single bang ricocheted throughout the street. Amy leapt round, startled, ready to pull out the revolver strapped onto her thigh. By her feet lay a blood soaked corpse of a thug. Looking up, she saw a lone figure in a blue dress and white hat some distance away, holstering her rifle.

"Thanks," she called out after the stranger.

"Don't mention it," waved the figure before she turned around and made her way back down the street.

Amy continued her way back towards the Strip. Upset, she scolded herself.

_ Damn it, Amy! You're getting slow... How didn't you hear that thug? He was right behind you! Come on, get your senses back! You're not in Jacobstown any more. _

"Halt," buzzed a securitron as she approached the check point. "Please submit to a credit check or declare your passport."

Amy pulled out the plastic chip from her handbag and slotted it into the robot's torso. The drive whizzed for a moment as the securitron processed the passport.

"Welcome back to the Strip, Miss – Baker, D. I hope your journey was well. Mr – Morales, Senator, is waiting for you in – the Gomorrah casino, suite – 1-1-0-2. Notifying him you have arrived... Please proceed and – have a nice day."

The securitron removed the passport and handed it back to Amy as the gates behind it opened up, revealing the sight of sin itself to her. She made her way in, taking in the grand spectacle of the vibrant lights and sound. She had never seen anything quite like it, and she wasn't sure she wanted to. Drunken soldiers, dazed men, crying women, she saw them all in this den of iniquity. Frowning, she scanned the skyline, looking for the casino she had been directed to when the silhouetted plaque in the shape of two nude women caught her eye.

_Wow... well that's subtle..._

Amy made her way over to the building, trying to ignore the dancing strippers and the crowds that had formed around them in front of the entrance. As she passed them, she couldn't help but wonder whether this area was called the "pick-up point" in the Old World because it was where you picked up your fun for the night or not. Inside, she was stopped by a guard who took his sweet time patting her down. Luckily, he didn't pick up the concealed revolver.

"Good evening, miss," called out the receptionist as Amy made her way across to the desk. "How can I help you?"

"I'm looking for a Senator Morales," she said, handing over the golden Gomorrah chip. "I have an appointment with him."

"Ah yes, he said he was expecting a visitor. 11th floor, suite number 2. If the two of you need anything at all, just buzz the intercom and we'll be right up. Please, enjoy your stay."

The elevator clunked uneasily as it slowly ascended to Amy's destination. She inspected the various posters decorating the bleak interior, all of them filled with pictures of bare women with their names written underneath. A couple of them had been crossed out with thick red ink.

"_Sheee_'s a sweet piece of aaasss... if you're innnteressted," said the a drunk cowboy she shared the ride with, prodding the photo of a pear-shaped fair girl named Claire. "Reeeally playful, that one."

"Err... Yeah, thanks."

"Sayyy you'rrrre not too bad yourself, sugar," he said sluggishly, a smug smile on his face. "Wanna join me for a drink sometime?"

"Erm, I'm... quite alright, thank you," said Amy, chuckling.

"I got tha caps if that's what yerrr want."

"I have enough, thanks."

"Aaaaww, well suit yourself, sweeeetie. I'm in roooom 804 if ya change yaar mind. Feel free to drop down... in... by... any time. Bye-byeee," he smiled, tapping his finger on Amy's nose before falling backwards onto the floor the doors opened. Amy laughed and waved him goodnight as the doors closed and the lift continued.

Finally, she got off on the 11th floor and made her way to the Senator's suite. Barely knocking twice, the double doors swung inwards and she was greeted by a tall dark haired man in a deep blue suit, an NCR badge pinned to his left collar.

"You're not exactly who I was expecting," he said, his voice firm and confident.

"Daisy couldn't make it, so she asked me to collect instead."

"I see. Please, come in. Sit yourself down, gorgeous."

He lead Amy towards the sofa and gestured towards it before continuing to the bar. She sat down by the armrest and placed her right hand over her left thigh, beside the revolver. Wondering what position to sit in with easy access to her weapon without raising too much suspicion, she shuffled about a little, and finally settled on crossing her legs with her left on top, her skirt a little pulled back on the right. She felt a little uneasy. Suppose this did go awry, could she really get herself out after being away from the game for so long?

"Name your poison," he called out from the bar.

"I'm sorry?" asked Amy, startled.

"Your drink? What would you like?"

"Oh...," she sighed in relief. _Concentrate, Amy! You'll be fine. _

"They've got pretty good Scotch here. Would you like to join me?"

Amy never really liked all that much alcohol, hard liquor even less. "Gin and tonic will do, thank you."

"Right you are," he murmured as he began preparing the drinks. "So, how did the job go? Did they fight back?"

"We took out half of their bighorners, and managed to take out a couple muties too, but still, they didn't fight back. Just like you told us before, they hid in lodge for the rest of the night." Better to lie than to tell him the whole truth, she thought. If she didn't make it back out, she didn't want Morales to achieve whatever goal he might have.

"Damn it!" he muttered under his breath as he made his way over to join Amy. He sat down beside her, a little too close for her comfort, and handed her the drink. She took a sip and rested it on her leg. "You sure you took out some of those green bastards?"

"Yeah, two of them. We waited till morning but they didn't come out again."

"Well that's a shame. I guess we'll have to try something a little more direct next time."

"I don't think we ever asked, why do you want to get rid of these mutants? They don't seem to be bothering the NCR or anybody for that matter." She took another sip from the glass and decided that it had a little too much rum for her liking.

"Oh I was just hoping to gain some favour from my backers that's all. They hate mutants, that lot. It's all politics, my deary, you wouldn't be interested in that."

"And you don't plan on stopping any time in the near future?" She began to feel a little woozy. Wow, she thought, she hadn't even drank that much yet.

"You seem awfully interested in my side of this whole affair, don't you?"

"Just curious about the job, that's all. Not every day you're told to go mutant hunting by the NCR."

"Not every day a beauty like you walks into my hotel room."

Amy froze as she saw the mischievous smile grow on Morales's face. Could it be?

"How's the drink?" he grinned.

_Shit. _

She went for her gun, withdrawing it from its strap but he stopped her. Giving her wrist a little shake and Amy lost grip of it and dropped it on the floor, her muscles weakening. She tried to pull away, but it was too late. He pinned her down to the sofa, the rest of her drink spilling over her legs. She tried to cry out, but all she could manage was a soft whimper. The room around her began spinning and she soon lost consciousness.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Amy awoke to the sound of a gentle hum of the air-conditioning and the smell of cigarette smoke. She felt cold, and her head was still spinning. She pulled her arms towards her, but they were tied by the wrists. Her eyes darted open and her suspicions were confirmed: she lay completely naked atop a queen sized bed, her arms and legs spread out and bound to the four posters. She gasped and began tugging at the strands of cloth trapping her.

"Well hello, beautiful," taunted Morales, sitting on a chair by the bed side before taking another puff from his cigarette. "I was beginning to think that I'd have to start without you for a moment there, but that would be no fun now, would it?"

He blew the warm smoke over her bare body as Amy shivered in disgust and turned away.

"Nice bush," he chuckled, staring insatiably at her lightly trimmed sex before running his fingers through the thin brown hair. "It suits you."

She launched her body at him, but was thrown back into the bed by her bindings. He smiled.

"I'm glad I waited until you woke up. You seem like one kinky bitch."

He ripped off his shirt and tore down his pants as his hungry cock popped out, his gaze fixated on Amy's body. Slowly, he crawled onto the bed and leant over her, before brushing a finger down from her forehead and traced the bridge of her nose, past her full lips and chin, down her tanned chest and and through her cleavage, and finally stopped at her belly button, giving it a little wiggle.

"Such a gorgeous little creature!" He grabbed Amy's forehead with one hand, her jaw with another while squeezing her cheeks and forced his lips into hers. Amy tugged as hard as she could at her bindings while resisting his repulsive kiss. Finally, her right arm came loose and slammed hard into his face, knocking him off her. She recoiled her arm back and readied a punch, but before she could, he jumped at it and pinned it down against the bed. He climbed over her again and rested his pulsating cock on her carpet, her arm still pinned down.

"Feisty little thing, ain't ya?" he grinned maniacally. "I like that."

"Fuck off you fucking shit!"

He slapped her with his free hand, disorientating Amy as the pain shot through her cheek and across her face.

"Looks like you're gonna need a lesson in manners, young lady."

He grabbed her left breast and squeezed it, bringing tears to her eyes, before shoving his fully erect shaft deep into her womb and began riding her. She struggled, her face clenched with rage as hate filled every muscle in her body. He leant down to her neck and bit it, but that was it, she was ready.

Smashing her head against his, he withdrew his head back in an attempt to shout in her face. She slammed her forehead into his nose as blood splattered out, across their bodies. His cock slipped out of her as he tried to get away, but she jolted her hips upwards and slammed her abdomen hard into his groin, causing him to cry out. He fell over onto the bed beside her wincing in pain, one hand clutching his profusely bleeding nose, the other his balls. She smashed his face with her free fist, over, and over, and over again, screaming at the top of her lungs. Finally, she fell back onto her back, panting, her body entirely exhausted. She looked at his broken face, blood endlessly oozing into the bed sheets, and was content that he wouldn't be getting up any time soon.

Sitting up, she grabbed the binding that tied her left wrist to the bed and yanked until it too ripped apart. Hastily, she untied her feet and stumbled off the bed and across the floor towards the puddle that was her belongings. Rolling around and resting her back against the wall, she grabbed her revolver and emptied its contents into the body on the bed before throwing the gun aside. She closed her eyes and breathed, calming herself down. Finally, she slowly got up, using the wall as support, and walked out of the bedroom, down the stairs and into the bathroom.

She stood dazed under the shower for what felt like hours, letting the water run over her form. When she finally regained some conscious thought, she began scrubbing herself clean of whatever her assailant may have left on her and embraced herself. She had stopped him. She was safe. She was stronger. She had won.

She stuck her face into the stream of water and ran her hands across it, massaging her temple. Satisfied she was clean, she turned off the water and dried herself with a fresh towel. She headed back upstairs again, ignoring the bed, and began dressing. She knew she had to get out of there fast. The longer she stayed the more likely someone could come across the scene. As soon as she finished she gathered her things and darted out of the suite and into the elevator, impatiently waiting as it rumbled downwards. Once it reached ground floor, she strode across the casino floor, ignored the pleasantries from the greeter, and disappeared into the wasteland.


End file.
